Gateway of Dreams
by lostlight
Summary: As the Chuunin exams draws closer, Hinata, who just turned fifteen, examines deeper in her ninja way, wondering if she can ever change. Not just for herself, but also for the future of the Byakugan clan.
1. Chapter 1

Gateway of Dreams  
  
Disclaimer: NARUTO does not belong to me and I have no relation to it. It is copyrighted to the creator, Masashi Kishimoto-sensei.  
  
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She could remember those cold, cold days spent training in her family's dojo. It reminded her of when she was younger, and possibly more loved then now. With a small smile on her lips, she sat on the wooden steps in front of the dojo. It wasn't true her father didn't like her, he was just disappointed in her, right?  
  
Hurting others wasn't her way. If one of her loved ones were hurt then she would protect them and never stop trying.. being stubborn was more like her ninja way. Her smile never reached her eyes, those same eyes that had caused her all this pain. Sometimes in her sleep, she would dream about not having these misty white eyes. Then her father wouldn't have to criticize her anymore, but then she wouldn't have him as a father anymore.. not part of the Byakugan clan.  
  
Shaking her head lightly, she shook the silly thoughts from her head. She was proud to be of the Byakugan clan. Feeling nippy, she pulled her jacket closer and started her way back to the main house, hoping she wouldn't spot her father on the way.  
  
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"Hinata, your birthday is to be soon, what will you do?" Her mother's gentle lulling voice reached her ears when she sat at her kitchen table, savoring warm tea. Hinata's eyes traveled upwards towards her mother, but she didn't say a thing. She did not hope for a celebration.  
  
Her sister Hanabi looked up from her tea and glanced at Hinata, who was staring intensely at the warm liquid in her hands. It was a rare occasion that she had been relieved of her fathers' training, but this time, she wish she could have been with him. Hanabi knew she was stronger than Hinata, who was to be the heir of the Hyuuga clan. She did not wish to provoke her feelings, even if it was almost impossible. "Sister, what about a party?"  
  
Looking up to the voice, she saw her sister staring at her, discomfort in her wispy eyes. Smiling, she placed her now-cold cup of tea down. "That sounds nice, Hanabi, but.. but I wouldn't want father and mother to waste their time with planning. They have better things to do." 'Like training you.' She thought sadly in her mind.  
  
"Nonsense Hinata! Your father and I would very much love to plan your fifteenth birthday!" Her mother exclaimed, patting her eldest daughter on the back, trying to sooth her. She knew Hiashi didn't favor her as much as Hanabi, but loved her nevertheless as a daughter. Maybe he was just to hard on her abilities as a ninja. "Why don't you tell all your friends about this? Go on, go on!"  
  
"Yes, mother. Thank you very much." Giving another weak smile, she drank the last of her beverage and exchanged goodbyes to her family, walking out the door.  
  
.  
  
Why was he doing this again? He didn't know. Shino slowly walked in the park, Akumaru barking loudly in Kiba's shirt. "Hey Shino, why so slow? Come on, I have your ass to kick!" Kiba let out a loud laugh and ran ahead of his friend, who was currently regretting ever following him.  
  
When they reached their training spot, Kiba stopped along with Akumaru's barking. "Ya know, it's not everyday when I do this. You should be happy I am!" Grinning, he took out a kunai and threw it straight at Shino, who was currently standing there, looking at the flowers.  
  
Not even flinching, he caught the weapon. "Don't hurt the flowers Kiba. Bee-chan is currently in there." Black glasses glinting in the sun, he threw the kunai back and faced him.  
  
"Damn you Shino! Leave "Bee-chan" alone and get serious already man!" Catching the object in his hand, he started his NinJutsu. "Juujin Bunshin!" Suddenly, two clones appeared with the appearance of Kiba. "Come on Shino!"  
  
Getting ready to jump, he stopped when he saw Shino just standing there. "What the hell!? Come on Shino, you don't really want to lose, right?"  
  
With a kunai in hand Shino hit one of the clones, who promptly turned into smoke and back into an injured Akumaru. "I already won, Kiba. You should be more careful of my insects next time."  
  
Turning back into his original form, he screamed. "What the hell!? I was so sure I got you then! Where the hell is your bug, huh?" He searched around him, but found no traced of the little insect that was currently crawling back to Shino.  
  
"I placed an insect on the kunai you threw at me, it's now returning to my body." Shino gave a mental sigh while Kiba continued yelling at him for not being fair.  
  
"Damn it Shino, I need to prepare for the Chuunin exam! Ya know, it's only 2 months away! I already showed off my great moves to Naruto and I don't have any new ones to show off! Damnit, damnit!!" Kiba kept on yelling and yelling until Akumaru himself started covering his ears, currently flopped downward.  
  
"I know Kiba, I also need to train, but we need Hinata with us first. We're a team, remember?" Shino held Bee-chan in his finger and whispered to it, "Where is she?"  
  
The leaves on the bush rustled a little as he spoke those words. Alert, he and Kiba each threw a kunai at the intruder. Hinata's head popped up from the bushes, confused. "Uh.. I-I'm sorry I interrupted your training.."  
  
"Oh Hinata! Just the person we needed today, right Shino?" The Aburame ninja nodded and let Bee-chan go from the top of his finger. "We need to train Hinata."  
  
Hinata stood out of the bushes revealing two kunai, one in each hand. "Yes, I guess it seems we do," she said in a low voice, her head slightly down, "here are your kunai."  
  
Shino lifted a eyebrow at her, but said nothing and took the weapon from her hand. Akumaru barked when he saw Hinata and was glad he didn't have to hear Kiba yelling again. "Hey Hinata, why'd you go and find us anyways?" Kiba asked, picking his weapon up.  
  
"Well, you see, um.. my mother wanted me to invite people to my birthday celebration.. but you don't have to go.." She answered timidly, wringing her hands like she usually did when she was shy.  
  
"Hahaha! Hinata, of course we'll go! We're a team, right?" Kiba slapped her on the back hard while laughing, causing her to wince from the impact.  
  
Shino looked at his teammate, wondering why she still felt uncomfortable with them around. "Don't be shy with us Hinata, we've been on the team for five years already. We're with you." Hinata blushed and stuttered a 'thank you' while smiling, this time for real.  
  
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"Kakashi, I see your team has formed together again." Kurenai looked at the teenagers practicing in the training fields. It looked like team 7 had gained full strength these past few months.. even stronger than before. With a genius and kyuubi on the team, what else could it be? That Haruno girl was doing better than before, her chakra in control as always. The teacher sighed, wonder where her team was. Probably fooling around as usual.  
  
Kakashi looked at the female from the corner of his free eye. "No need to get jealous, right, Kurenai? I know my team has been improving." He smiled and whipped out his Come Come Paradise, wondering why he didn't read it sooner.   
  
"I'm not jealous Kakashi. My teams has potential. Hinata's a good girl, her bloodline is excellent, and she trains a lot, but maybe she's holding back. And Kiba.. he's a good fighter, just doesn't show much sense." She looked at the man beside who was currently chuckling and blushing at the book he was reading. Spotting her looking at him, he mumbled an "hmm.."  
  
"Hyuuga Hinata you say? Hyuuga Neji's cousin? Hiashi may be too hard on her sometimes, but her sister is a genius, making him more interested on the younger sibling," Kakashi put his book down, thinking on something, "the Chuunin exam is going to be held soon, are you nominating your team?"  
  
The female Jounin nodded, her crimson eyes never leaving team 7, "Of course I am Kakashi. I did 2 years ago, so why not?" It seemed strange for her to see her team growing up so fast. Although Shino did grow taller, his remarkable abilities never changed. Kiba was eccentric as ever, but he had been lacking his training lately, and then there was Hinata. She wasn't the girl from before, she could see it in her eyes, she wanted to changed.  
  
"Then we would be able to see how Hinata really changed, right, Kurenai?" She looked at the former ANBU captain beside her and saw the mysterious look on his face. Sighing, she just quietly agreed. She hated when he did that.  
  
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A/N: I wonder how Hinata is really feeling. I've never felt that way because I've done more than enough for my parents. I don't understand how you can hate a person(Hinata's father) if you don't really understand him. He's disappointed in his child, the heir, but does that mean he doesn't love her? One day, he'll see the way his daughter really thinks and maybe understand her more.   
  
This is just something I started as a one-shot, and I guess it can continue, but will I really ever update? I usually start something an never finish it. I'm beginning to like this one though, since Hinata is one of my favorite Naruto characters. 


	2. Chapter 2

Gateway of Dreams  
  
Disclaimer: NARUTO does not belong to me and I have no relation to it. It is copyrighted to the creator, Masashi Kishimoto-sensei.  
  
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Hyuuga Hiashi sat on the dojo stairs, not realizing his own daughter had been sitting there only a while ago. Since he had dismissed Hanabi yesterday evening, he had been sitting in the empty dojo contemplating about what to teach next when he had seen his eldest daughter enter. He could see she was hesitant about something, but he said not a word, for he did not wish to disturb her from training, which she needed.  
  
It was strange she did not see him. Perhaps it was the lack of sunlight that filtered from the rice-paper screens that blocked her sight, or maybe she didn't mind him watching. He knew that wasn't the case. She was extremely shy when it came to people she didn't know; why was it that she was so timid around him?  
  
Ever since she learned how to walk, she was taught the Hyuuga style Taijustu, which was strongest when used with the bloodline of the Byakugan. Although she tried and tried, Hinata seemed to move farther and father away from becoming strong enough for his tastes, leading him into disappointment and thus spending most of his time on the genius of the Main House, Hanabi.  
  
'How did she turn this way? Did I do anything wrong with training her?' He asked himself sometimes, well-knowing he would never find the answer even if he wanted to. When her time came to train as a Genin, he let her go. Maybe, he thought, she would find her own way to strength that every Hyuuga possessed.  
  
With his own eyes, he saw Hinata struggle to train herself. When she was younger, she had always given up when it was hard for her, but he could see she had changed. She still couldn't keep up with her sister or himself, but she had been trying. Her low self-confidence had been destroying her strength it had seemed. If only it was boosted, she would be stronger than her sister. The thought stayed in his mind even when she finished training and walked out of the dojo.  
  
He was surprised when he heard she had been nominated to take the Chuusin exams, but he wondered if it was for her own good or her teammates. It seemed she had tried to change herself, to show people her ninja way. Although it came to him as no shock, Hinata could not win a fight with her cousin, Neji, the true Hyuuga genius.   
  
Often, he started to reminisce about his brother, Hizashi, and why he had chosen to create his own path in life and break away from the so-called destiny of the Branch House. It was ironic how his son could believe so much in what Kami-sama had planned out for them while his father thought the opposite.  
  
It was just like how he was the opposite of his daughter. Should he really try to understand more of her logic? 'Nonsense,' he said in his mind, 'she shall find her own way.. and she will know what it is to become the Hyuuga heir on her own.' Feeling that he should return to the house soon, he stood up slowly and walked on the path to his home.  
  
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"Hey Hinata! Your training seems to be improving, just like mine!" Kiba slapped her on the back while Akamaru smiled and barked at her. The misty eyed girl smiled weakly and mumbled a thanks.  
  
"But hey, I'm wiped out from this. We started this morning to the afternoon, meaning I haven't eaten lunch yet!" He put his kunai back into his pouch and stood up from the ground, where Hinata was currently seated next to Shino.  
  
Giving a large grin, he plucked Shino from his seat, making him lose contact with Bee-chan, who he was speaking to. "Let's go eat! It's Shino's treat!"   
  
Shino was used to Kiba's antics, so he just nodded as usual and started walking to the nearest restaurant. "Come on Hinata."  
  
Standing up from the ground, she gave them a small smile and declined. "I'm sorry, but I still have to finish giving my invitations to everybody. I'll eat with you two next time." They agreed and went on their way, waving goodbye as they walked.  
  
Hinata wondered who she would invite next. Giving a soft frown, she wondered why she agreed to this in the first place. She didn't even know if it would really take place, after all, she didn't ask her father for it. Though she knew her mother always kept her promises, she was unsure of her father. This feeling always gripped her again and again when she saw her father train her sister, Hanabi.  
  
Looking around, she saw the top of the Konoha hospital building. Realization dawned on her then, maybe she should invite him. "Neji-oniisan," She whispered softly.  
  
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When had he last woken up to see the sky looking at him, mocking him? Groaning, Neji started to get up from the hospital bed, ignoring the burning pain in his body. His room was quiet and empty just like it had been when he was transferred here after they had found him in the forest.  
  
'It is a clear day today, but I wonder when I will be able to train?' He wanted to become stronger, more than he had before. This kind of strength didn't come from his shinobi skill though, it came from his mental skills, the ones he had lacked when it came to "destiny".  
  
It felt as if a great weight had been lifted when he had read the letter his father left him. He was glad it was gone from his body, he had been truly able to see for the first time without hate in his eyes. 'I saw all the birds that day.. flying freely without a cage. Will I ever be like them soon?'  
  
Looking out of the giant window the hospital provided him with, he saw the clouds had softened and the sun beaming brightly on the birds that flew. Yes, today was a good day, he could feel it. He lay back on his pillow again, sleep suddenly taking place in his body.  
  
.  
  
Hinata looked at the front doors of the hospital with a feeling of regret taking over her. She had been placed here when Neji won the preliminary round of the Chuunin exam. He had almost killed her.  
  
She couldn't blame him for what he did. In her eyes, she could see the pain he felt when he looked at her father before, when he was lost in his so-called "destiny" theory and suffering because of it.  
  
Opening the glass doors, she stepped in and the smell of medicine touched her nose. She walked over to the counter and asked to visit Hyuuga Neji. The receptionist looked at her with confusion at first because she was not only one of the Main House's Hyuuga, but the one who went to the hospital because of him. Then deciding not to meddle in affairs of their clan, she nodded and sat up to led her to his room.  
  
Neji awoke when he heard his door opening, wondering who was visiting. TenTen and Gai-sensei had given him a most "pleasurable" visit while on their way to Lee, who was still in the hospital. His surgery had been successful and was about finished recuperating with his injuries, which Neji found hard to believe.  
  
He did not expect to see her again. His cousin timidly peeked in to see if he was awake and froze when she saw his misty-colored eyes on her. Mentally sighing in his mind, he wonder why she had decided to visit him of all people. "Come in if you have something to speak about, Hinata-sama."  
  
His smooth voice scared her because it was the voice who always taunted her during their fights, although she should have been used to it. "Y-yes, Neji-oniisan."  
  
She walked towards his bed slowly and saw he had been recovering well. "A-are y-you well, Neji-oniisan?"  
  
Nodding, he motioned for her to sit somewhere before she annoyed him even longer with her fidgeting. She gave him a weak smile and pulled out a small stool to sit near his bed. "I c-came to.. I came to..i-invite you to.."  
  
"Say it already," He did not appreciate her stuttering around him, especially if she had something important to say.  
  
"I-I came to invite you to.. my birthday celebration, Neji-oniisan. You don't have to come if you don't want to though.." She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see his face, which was probably staring at her in anger.  
  
Neji looked at her with disbelief, didn't he always have to attend her birthdays? After all, they lived in the same property. It must have been important for her to invite him in person. "Open you eyes, Hinata-sama. I will go, but only because it would be impolite of me to not attend a Hyuuga gathering," He said bluntly, as always.  
  
She opened her eyes and stared at him. "You don't have to g-go if you don't want to.."   
  
"Are you trying to tell me you don't want me to come? I always have to come, so it's not a big deal to me," It was true. He remember when his father was still alive, he loved to attend gatherings, or parties as he called it before. It was so clear to him; on Hinata's 4th birthday, it was when all things seemed to turn downhill. Yet he still had his father then. Now he was gone.  
  
"N-no, I'd be glad if you came, Neji-oniisan.." She spoke in a very quiet voice that Neji almost couldn't comprehend.  
  
The room became quiet after she spoke. He had never liked her and treated her badly, yet she wanted to him to come? Was she stupid or something? He could never understand his shy cousin because he had better things to do than think of someone like her. Training was most important, second to his parents. He wondered if she had been training for the next Chuunin exam. "How is your training?"  
  
His question struck her out of the blue because every time he talked to her, it was usually in a rough manner. Smiling, she started playing with her hands. "I-I have been trying to train.. although I'm not very good.."  
  
Snorting, he raised himself. "'Not very good..' is certainly an understatement. Keep on training."  
  
She nodded timidly and stood up from the stool. "I-I have to go now, Neji-oniisan. Please take care," Knowing that he would never wave, she walked out of his room, leaving Neji to think.  
  
This was the only normal conversion they had since they were young. 'Has she really been changing herself?'   
  
.  
  
"Ahhhh..!! I'm damn tired!"  
  
The sun was about to go midway down when the orange-clad teenager sat down to rest from training. He and his teammates had been at it since breakfast, but since of his stamina, he had not notice how tiring it was suppose to be for a normal shinobi.  
  
Panting for breath, Sakura rested herself on the shade of a tree. "You shouldn't be the one to say that, I lost my breath a few hours ago!" Her lips were dry from the heat of the sun that had been beating down on them since the morning. Now that it was afternoon, it grew even worse.  
  
Sasuke looked at his teammates with a strange feeling. He had missed these training sessions, even if most of the times they weren't serious. Not long ago, the Devil Fruit had been offered to him and had accepted. In the midst of the confusion he bore, he had not realized when there was something evil that could make him stronger, there was always a counter fruit. To defeat his brother, he had wanted to do it as quick as possible. What would happen after I took the Devil's Fruit and defeated my brother, he had thought one day on his way to Orochimaru and the Hidden Sound Village.  
  
His body would be ruined, making his revenge utterly pointless for anything. Truth be told, he was glad they had saved him from going the wrong way, even though he was annoyed Naruto had rubbed it in his face every now and then about it.  
  
"Sasuke, Sakura-chan, LET'S HAVE RAMEN!" Naruto jumped up from his spot grinning and started to drag their arms. The now fifteen-year-old hadn't changed much at all. He was still the stubborn boy and ramen lover everybody knew him as. And the boy who had the kyuubi in him. A monster.  
  
"Calm down Naruto," a puff of smoke appeared beside him and Kakashi appeared, smiling at them, "I have something to announce."  
  
Their questioning eyes were on him. Kakashi usually just said "good work", with his book at hand, at the end of their training and disappeared, telling them where and when to meet again. It must have been something really important for him to speak more than 2 words.  
  
"I'll soon be nominating you guys for the Chuunin exams again. I'm telling you in advance because I want you to actually go up another rank this time," he eyed Sasuke, "do you all understand?"  
  
Naruto immediately nodded, happy to gain a chance to "kick some ass" again, but Sasuke and Sakura hesitated. "Sensei, do you think I'm qualified enough? I-I.." She was the first one to speak up, and all eyes when on her, making her color.  
  
"Of course Sakura, you will do well on the test, don't you trust my judgement?" Kakashi patted his student's head affectionately. She nodded. "I'll do it then, sensei."  
  
Kakashi looked at the team's prodigy, a little surprised at his hesitation. "What about you Sasuke?" It looked like he was holding his words back, but he nodded anyways. Smiling, Kakashi gave a thumbs up and disappeared into smoke.  
  
Sakura looked at Sasuke with concern in her eyes. What if the cursed seal activated again? Although it had been several years already, he still had the seal on his neck. Orochimaru was still alive and controlling the Hidden Sound Village; he was suppose to come to the Chuunin exams as well. Although he should have been banned a long time ago for his less than honorable acts, not everyone wanted a war again, especially when it was so peaceful after the war they first encountered.  
  
Although Sasuke saw his female teammate look at him with concern, he decided to ignore it. This was the chance he had been waiting for ever since last times' exam. His round had been cut short because of Orochimaru's plan. After that, he had joined the Sound Ninjas, leaving everybody in concern.  
  
The town had to restore and repair everything, mainly their hopes and morale. The fight had been a great loss to the Konoha village; mainly their beloved 3rd Hokage and Jounins. It had taken several months, a year at the latest. Most of last years Genins had not been able to attend because of lost teammates, therefore creating this years Chuunin exam the one to be of importance.  
  
"I'll be able to kick even MORE ass this year! You should remember this exam Sasuke! It's gonna be the one where I'm gonna become Chuunin easily!" Naruto slapped his back as a friendly gesture, causing him to be yelled at by Sakura, who currently had Inner Sakura to back her up.  
  
Sasuke looked at them in amusement and found himself to be joining in. He hated to admit it, but he was glad they were back again. Yet sometimes, he wondered it if would last this way. Someday, he'd have to leave Konoha and revenge his clan. His time was growing decreasing, his mind out of it. This time, he would use the counter-fruit.  
  
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A/N: The "counter fruit" reminds me of Fruits Basket. If there is someone who hurts you, there will be a healer. Therefore, if there is a evil fruit, aka easy way out, there should be a pure fruit, aka hard way out. Yet when I read it over again, Sasuke seems out of character. If you're desperate, then the easy way out is the path you want to take, right? Let's just say Naruto literally slapped him out of it.. along with everyone that knows him.  
  
RZH: I wasn't planning on the one-shot to be this first chapter. I feel that would be too short for a story like this. If I did, I would make a Hinata birthday one-shot that mentions nothing of the Chuunin exam. After all, the Chuunin exam is the main thing I'll try to focus on right now.  
  
Jaques Rico: This chapter should explain everything. The mission that Naruto did with the rest of the Genins(save Shikamaru) wouldn't just take 1 month.. even if it did, the injuries that was inflicated on them would certainly take longer to recover. Most of the rookie teams were broken up, making the main cast unable to join. Anyways, it's more fun to write about Hinata when she's older.  
  
Just to let you know.. I'm not the one who can write really good romance. So if you're waiting for romance action, mainly Hinata/Naruto, you'll have to wait as the story progresses. 


End file.
